Burglar-alarm



P. H. SPETHMANN.

BURGLAR ALARM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15, 1918.

v Patented Jan, 13, 1920.

L 0% a W wiimrws P. H. SPETHMANN.

BURGLAR ALARM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15, me.

1 $27,785, Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

2 SHEETS-"SHEET, '2.

30 33 I J ZZnesses 2M fflz/eyzior UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER H. SPE'II'IMANN, OF NEW EFFINGTON, SOUTH DAKOTA.

BURGLAR-ALARM.

Application filed March 15.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PETER H. SPETH- MANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Eflington, in the county of Roberts and State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in BurglarAlarms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an automatic burglar alarm, especially adapted for use in connection with motor driven vehicles and door detainers and detainer actuators.

To the above end, generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate theinvention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view, illustrating the burglar alarm applied to an automobile and connected to the gas rod at a point-above thelower end of the steering column;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the invention, on an enlarged scale, removed from the automobile, with the exception of the gas rod, which is shown in sections;

Fig. 3 is a modification of the invention, designed to be applied to a gas rod at a point below the steering column;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view, showing a further modification of the alarm, designed to be applied to a door knob;

Fig. 5 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in horizontal section, taken on the irregular line 44 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the split collar removed from the door knob and opened up.

Referring first to the burglar alarm, as applied to an automobile, in Figs. 1 and 2. Of the parts of the automobile illustrated, it is only necessary to note the body 7 steering column 8, steering wheel 9, gas lever 10,

lock segments 11, and gas rod 12, which eX- tends axially through the steering column 8 and has secured to its upper end thelever 10.

The burg ar alarm, as hown, is in the Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J an, 13, 192() 1918. Serial No. 222.531.

form of a bell 13, and a cooperating striker or hammer 14. The bell 13 is secured to the outer face of a casing 15, within which is mounted all of the mechanism for actuating the hammer 14. This mechanism includes a bar 16, preferably having a slight yielding action, and working through an aperture in the casing 15, with the hammer 1.4 secured to its outer projecting end. The bar 16 holds the hammer 14 in position to be vibrated against the bell, in a manner that will be presently described, to produce an audible alarm.

The bar 16, and hence the hammer 14, is carried by an upwardly projecting stem on an escapement pawl 17 that is actuated by a cooperating escapement wheel 18. Carried by the escapement Wheel 18 is a pinion 19, which meshes with an intermediate gear 20, having secured, for rotation therewith, an intermediate pinion 21, which, in turn, meshes with the gear 22, loosely journaled on a shaft 23. This gear 22 is connected with the shaft 23 by a one way pawl and ratchet 24. A clock spring 25 is provided for rotating the gear 22 and has one of its ends anchored to the shaft 23 and its other end to the casing 15. The outside cover or face plate of the casing 15 is secured in position by any suitable means, and the outer end of the shaft 23, which is squared to receive a key, not shown, for winding the spring 25, projects through an aperture in the cover or face plate of said casing.

The escapement 17 is held against the action of the spring 25 by a long rod 26 and coiled spring 27. This rod 26 is slidably mounted in an aperture in the casing 15 for endwise sliding movement with its inner end normally engaging the stem of the escapement 17 under the action of'said spring. The spring 27 has one of its ends anchored to the casing 15 and its other end to the rod 26, outward of said casing. The outer or other end of the rod 26 is connected to the intermediate portion of a bail like crank 28, the prongs of which are clamped to the gas rod 12, near the lower end of the steering column 8. A circumferential slotis formed in the steering column. 8 for the crank 28, which works therein. The rod 26 is made in two sections, and a twin buckle 29 connects the inner ends thereof. By means of this twin buckle 29 the sections of the rod 26 may be longitudinally adjusted from the rank 28 t properly position its free end against the stem of the escapement 17 as shown in Fig. 2, and hold the same inoperative.

In the position of the gas rod 12 and crank 28, as shown in Fig. 2, the supply of gas is, out 01f from the carbureter and the alarm held out of action by the rod 26. When the lever 10 is operated to open up the gas supply, the movement of the gas rod 12, through the crank 28, draws the rod 26 out of engagement with the escapement stem 17 and against the action of the spring 27. WVith the rod 26 out of engagement with the stem ofthe escapement 17, said escapement is free to operate under the action of the spring 25 and produces an audible alarm by vibrating the hammer 14 against the bell 13.

' To prevent the alarm from being sounded when the owner or an authorized person starts the same, the following connections are provided for holding the escapement out of action after the rod 26 has been moved out of engagement therewith and the gas supply opened up to start the car: These connections, as shown, comprise a short in? termediately fulcrumed lever 30, a bellcrank 31 and switch lever 32. The lever 30 is pivoted to the casing 15, with its inner end projectingtherein, for engagement with the stem of the escapement 17, as shown by full lines in Fig. 2. The other end of the lever 30 extends outward of the casing 15 and is connected by a rod 33 to the short arm of the bell-crank lever 81. The switch lever 32 is mounted in a switch box 34, and a rod 35 connects the same to the long arm ofthe bell-crank lever 31.

Thecover of the switch bOX-34 is provided with a suitable lock, and, cooperating with the switch lever 32, is a lock segment 36, having two circumferentially spaced notches toreceive said lever'by a lateral springing action to hold-the same, and hence the lever 30,- in either of its twoextreme positions, as shown by full and broken lines inFig. 2. The-casing 15 issecured to the carv body 7, just. above the foot-board, and at the right, while the switch box 84 is secured to the same part of the body but substantially above the steering column 8, as shown, which is a left hand drive.

To prevent anyone from tampering with the mechanism of the alarm and its connection with the gas rod 28, a housing 37 covers the same, together With the lower end of the steering column 8, as shown in Fig. 1. This housing 37 is provided with an aperturenormally closed by a. gravity held cover plate 38, which may beopened to permit the spring 25 to be wound. The bellecrank 31 islocated within the housing 37, and the rod 35, which connects the same with the lever 32, is: extended through a conduit 39, also secured to the body 7 When. t eowner lea s he a e n1ocks the switch box 34 and moves the switch lever 32 into a position, as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 2. In this position of the lever 32 the lever 30 is held out of engagement with the stem of the escapement 17, and in case some unauthorized person tries to start the car the movement of the lever 10, as previously described, will move the rod 26 out of engagement with the stem of the escapement 1'7, and thereby cause the alarm to be sounded. If the owner wishes to start the car, he moves the switch lever 32 into a position, as indicated by full lines in Fig. 2, and

thereby sets the leverBO into a position to hold the escapement inoperative after the rod 26 has been moved out of engagement therewith under the movement of the lever 10, to move the gas rod into a position to open up the gas supply.

In the modification shown in Fig. 8, the alarm is connected to a crank arm 40, on the lower end of the gas rod, which isa customary construction in certain makes of cars. A bell-crank 26 is interposed in the rod 26 to impart the proper movementv to the'escapement 17.

Referring now to the burglar alarm as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the numeral 41 in.-

dicates a door provided with a door latch. 42

and a door knob 43, for actuating same.-

In this use of the invention the casing 15 is directly secured to the inner face of the door 41, and the rod 26 is not necessarily made longitudinally adjustable for the reason that the casing 15 can be properly positioned with respect to the door knob, by which said rod is actuated, before said casing is permanently secured in position. The. spring 27 is placed inside of the casing.

15 instead of outside thereof, and has one of its ends anchored to a guide lug 44, which also holds the rod 26 for straight endwise movement. The switch lever32and connections to the lever 30 are also dispensed with,

as they are unnecessary in this application of the burglar alarm.

As previously stated, the rod 26 is moved out of engagement. with the stem of the. escapement 17 by the movement of the. door knob 43, to release the. latch and open the.

door. To accomplish this result, I mount on the shank of the. door. knob 43, a split hinged collar 45;, the free ends of. whichare detachably connected by a screw 46. ,To

prevent this collar 45. from slipping on. the.

and lower members of this loop are formed slots 49, through which are passed shouldered screws 50 that have screw threaded engagement with the two members of the collar 45 at diametrically opposite points. Normally, these screws 50 engage the slots 49, at the outer ends thereof. In case the door knob 43 is turned to the right, the upper screw 50 will impart an endwise movement to the rod 26, and the lower screw 50 will simply move freely to the left in the lower slot 49. When the door knob 43 is turned to the left, the lower screw 50 will impart an endwise movement to the rod 26 and the upper screw 50 will move freely in the upper slot 49.

The above described use of the invention, with respect to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, is especially adapted for use in connection with chamber doors of hotels and lodging houses. After the occupant of a room closes his door he moves the lever 30 out of engagement with the stem of the escapement 17, and in case some one tries to enter the room, the movement of the door knob will draw the rod 26 out of engagement with the stem of the escapement and allow the alarm to be sounded in the same manner as described .in connection with the automobile. When the occupant of a room wishes to leave the same, he moves the lever 30 into a position, as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 4, to hold the escapement after the rod 26 has been moved out of engagement therewith under the movement of the door knob to release the door latch.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with an audible alarm, means under strain and including an escapement for sounding the alarm, a rod supported for sliding movement and contacting with the escapement to. hold the same against movement, a spring engaged with the rod for urging the rod into contact with the escapement, and a rock member slidably connected with the rod, said connection constituting a loop member and a part extending therein.

2. In combination with a movable member, a rod supported for sliding movement and contacting with the movable member to hold the same against movement, a spring engaged with the rod for urging the rod into contact with the movable member, a loop member carried by the rod and provided with a slot in the wall thereof, and a rocking member disposed through the loop member and provided with a part extending within the slot, said slot permitting the rocking member to have partial movement independently of the loop member.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PETER H. SPETHMANN.

Witnesses J. E. HOWE, K. A. FITCH. 

